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sports Diabierna 1 OctOber 2021

Former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer returns to Buckeye State

(AP) — Urban Meyer not fair to players. This is a
didn’t even try to down- one-game plan and then we’ll
play his homecoming. worry about the next game.”

Jacksonville’s head coach is Next up is Cincinnati,
returning to his home state the franchise Meyer once
for the first time since mak- cheered for and whose or-
ing the jump to the NFL, and ange and black stripes he
it won’t be just any road trip proudly wore.
for Meyer when the winless
Jaguars (0-3) visit Cincinnati “Isaac Curtis and Bob
(2-1) on Thursday night. Trumpy,” Meyer said, reel-
ing off his favorite Bengals.
“I could say it’s not impor- “You guys don’t remember
tant,” Meyer deadpanned. those names. Essex Johnson.
Then he added: “I love Cin- There’s not one human be-
cinnati.” ing that remembers Essex
Johnson. Chip Myers, Bill
The 57-year-old Meyer was Bergey, Ron Carpenter, and
born in Toledo, grew up in then my favorite who I idol-
Ashtabula rooting for the ized growing up — Tommy
Bengals, went to college at Casanova because I was a
Cincinnati, played safety safety. No one’s writing that
for the Bearcats, got his first down, I can see.”
coaching job at nearby Saint
Xavier High School in 1985, Meyer will surely have a big
and has two sisters who still contingent on hand for the
live there. game, some probably wear-
Burrow, who ended up trans- a season opener for the first Andre Cisco, fourth-rounder ing Bengals jerseys. As for
He was a proud member of ferring to LSU and winning time in his head coaching Jordan Smith or fifth-round- how many tickets he needed?
the Buckeye State long be- the 2019 Heisman Trophy. career and is 0-3 for the first er Luke Farrell.
fore he became the Buckeyes’ Cornerback Eli Apple, safety time since serving as Colo- “Mrs. Meyer worries about
coach. Vonn Bell, defensive end Sam rado State’s receivers coach Jacksonville also spent fru- that,” he quipped. “I don’t.”
Hubbard and offensive tackle in 1992. gally in free agency despite
“I love the great state of Ohio. Isaiah Prince also played for having more salary-cap space Even less surprising, Meyer
I always will,” said Meyer, Meyer. He’s trying to change every- than anyone in the league. It’s hasn’t mentioned his home-
who returned to coach Ohio thing about a franchise that clearly far from the kind of coming inside the building
State in 2012 and led the team “There’s a bunch of Buck- has lost 18 in row, lacks tal- overnight rebuild that raised this week. Not to his assis-
to the 2014 national champi- eyes on that team that we’re ent and is one of the young- Meyer’s profile dramati- tants and certainly not to his
onship. getting ready to play,” Meyer est in the league. He drafted cally during stops at Bowl- players.
said. “I was a Bengals fan quarterback Trevor Lawrence ing Green (2001-02), Utah
Now, he’s about to face a growing up, so I could act with the No. 1 overall pick, (2003-04), Florida (2005-10) “I didn’t even think about
Cincinnati team filled with like I’m not (excited), but it’s but he’s without fellow first- and then Ohio State. it, no,” Lawrence said. “He
former Buckeyes — players going to be great to go home. rounder Travis Etienne (foot) hasn’t said anything. He
Meyer recruited during his But all that matters is a win.” and is getting little, if any- “I don’t ever want to fall into seems like he’s locked in and
seven-year tenure (2012-18) thing, out of second-rounder that trap of saying this is a he’s not thinking about that.
at Ohio State. Meyer is returning home in Walker Little, third-rounder four-year plan, a three-year So even more so, we’ll want
It starts with quarterback Joe uncharted waters. He lost Jay Tufele, third-rounder plan,” Meyer said. “That’s to get this win then for him.”

NCAA to look into holding both Final Fours in same city

(AP) - The NCAA is ex- said the women’s tourna- come to exist through the month on the recommenda- Four is played in a basketball
ploring holding a joint ment can start using “March years between the Division I tions in the report and only arena in the city while the
Final Four with the men Madness” in marketing and Women’s and Men’s Basket- 55% were in favor of a com- men’s game is played in a
and women’s basketball branding beginning this sea- ball Championships is a pri- bined Final Four. The Asso- much larger dome.
tournaments holding son, addressing another sharp ority, and we are dedicated to ciated Press obtained a copy
their semifinals and title criticism raised this year. making impactful changes.” of the survey results, which “I think we should recog-
games in the same city on included participation from nize that the sports are in two
the same weekend, though A combined Final Four is Tom Burnett, chair of the 345 of 356 WBCA members. different places,” she said.
it would not happen until likely to be more contro- Division I Men’s Basketball “Do what’s best for growing
at least 2027 with sites al- versial and the idea does not Committee, said the com- Stanford coach Tara women’s basketball. Wom-
ready locked in through have universal support. But mittee meetings have been VanDerveer said she sup- en’s basketball is not where
2026. the NCAA said Thursday it productive. ported exploring the idea if it men’s basketball is because
will look into the details. is done correctly. we started later and haven’t
Combining the tournaments “If both committees agree been promoted as heavily.
was one of the recommenda- “We are committed to con- that the recommendation of “If they have the hotels cor- We have catching up to do.
tions stemming from an ex- tinuing discussion about the having both Final Fours in rectly with both number one You’re in an 18-20,000 seat
ternal review of gender equi- concept of conducting both the same city is the best op- seeds staying in the same arena we can fill it up. I don’t
ty issues of the tournaments. the Women’s and Men’s Fi- tion, we are committed to place and the facilities right, know we’re selling out the
The report released in August nal Fours in the same city in seeing that it will be executed I think it’s doable,” she said. dome yet.”
was sparked by outrage at the the next bid cycle for each of with comprehensive plan- “I don’t think you could say
disparities between amenities these premier NCAA Cham- ning,” he said. you’re going to do it and not Most of the other ideas sug-
at the two tourneys, includ- pionships,” said Nina King, work at it. You have to iron gested by the report had
ing weight rooms and other chair of the Division I Wom- Coaches are split on the out the details.” over 90% approval from the
features. en’s Basketball Committee. idea. The Women’s Basket- coaches in the WBCA survey.
“Finding ways to address the ball Coaches Association did VanDerveer also said she has
The NCAA earlier this week gender equity issues that have a survey of its coaches last no issue if the women’s Final